Mass Effect: Inevitable
by Galos
Summary: Earth is nearly lost and Commander Shepard is ready to bring the might of the galaxy down upon the Reapers, but one more obstacle stands in his way: Cerberus. Follow Shepard through this epic conclusion as he fights against the inevitable. A novelization and alternate take to the Mass Effect ending, beginning with the mission to Sanctuary and the attempt to recruit Miranda.
1. Chapter 1: Priority Mission: Sanctuary

**Author's Notes:**

Since this follows my Shepard, here's a brief summary of a few major choices that were made:

Colonist, Ruthless, Soldier, Renegade

ME1: Saved the Council, saved Rachni queen, Wrex survived, Ashley died on Virmire, Kirrahe survived Virmire, no one romanced

ME2: Saved Maelon's research, all crew members and squad survived suicide mission, romanced Miranda

ME3: Cured Genophage, Thane and Mordin killed, peace between Geth and Quarian, killed Rachni queen

* * *

_Chapter I_

_Priority Mission: Sanctuary  
_

The ground trembled as the brute's lifeless corpse dropped heavily to the floor. Its face was severely mangled and its skull had been crushed by an immense force. Commander Shepard picked himself up off the floor and glared down at the dead abomination as smoke cleared from the barrel of his shotgun. He noticed that his legs were shaking. He had made some daring choices before, but none of them compared to what he just did - waiting until the last moment to blast a charging Brute in the face from pointblank range before diving out of the way. He had used similar tactics against charging krogan, but brutes were bigger, tougher, and nastier. If he hadn't been the galaxy's most skilled soldier, he would be smeared against the wall right now.

Suddenly, a shot whizzed past his ear, snapping him back into action. Shepard rolled behind the nearest bit of cover and loaded a fresh thermal clip into his shotgun. The shot came from behind him and sounded like a round from a sniper rifle. Braving a peak, he poked his head out from behind cover. Anticipating another shot, he immediately pulled his head back, but no shots were fired. Whoever fired at him might be behind cover.

Shepard decided to risk a lengthier look to pinpoint the enemy's location. Cautiously, he stuck his head out again and quickly scanned the room. There was nothing in sight except for the fallen brute and a few lifeless husks. The only thing different was a corpse of a cannibal at the far end of the room, a fresh kill.

A very distinct chuckle clued him in to what just happened. Shepard let out an annoyed sigh as he stood up and moved out from behind his cover, turning toward the figure strolling up to him.

"You may be the best shot, but you have to admit, that was pretty impressive." Garrus popped out the used thermal clip from his sniper rifle and loaded a fresh one in, seemingly very pleased with himself.

Ever since Shepard proved he was the better shot by beating the turian at his own game in the Presidium, Garrus was finding opportunities in nearly every firefight to prove otherwise. He claimed that, without competition and the fear of being surpassed, Shepard would get rusty. This was Garrus' way of making sure that Shepard continued to perform at his best.

"How about a warning the next time I'm directly involved?"

Garrus raised his rifle, pretending to take aim at a target. "Hold still, Shepard! This one's going right over your head."

Shepard shook his head as he turned around and made his way down to the other end of the room with Garrus at his side, chuckling at his own joke. They had to step over the lifeless cannibal to get by. As Shepard stepped over the dead creature, he noticed the bullet hole in its head, perfectly centered between the top pair of eyes. Garrus was right, that _was_ an impressive shot.

"Commander!"

Shepard snapped his head up to find Liara crouched down by a door, urgently motioning them to come over. He signaled Garrus to follow him and rushed over to the door, kneeling down beside her.

"This should be the facility's main control room," she whispered, "but..."

CRASH - something heavy slammed against the other side of the door, immediately followed by gunfire and the unmistakable sound of biotics. Shepard switched out his shotgun for his assault rifle and loaded in a fresh thermal clip.

"Stay sharp," he advised his team. "Kai Leng may be in there."

He certainly hoped so. The assassin had interfered too many times and killed Thane, and for that reason alone, Shepard wanted him to suffer a slow, agonizing death.

"If he is, I'll put a bullet right through that bastard's head." growled Garrus as he readied his rifle.

_You and me both._ Shepard glanced back at his squad and received a confirming nod from each of them, signaling that they were ready. Taking a deep breath to steady his aim, Shepard opened the door and burst into the room.

Immediately, he had to duck as several shots flew by, missing him by inches. Shepard darted back up and aimed at the source, but was too late. The man had jumped behind a young woman and wrapped his arm tightly around her neck, forcing her to be his human shield. Shepard rolled his eyes at the man's futile attempts to protect himself. He often resolved situations such as these by shooting the hostage in the leg and then dealing with the then shocked captor.

Wanting to end this quickly and move on to hunting down Kai Leng, Shepard aimed at the young woman's legs. _She'll live._

"Shepard..."

Shepard froze. There was no mistaking her distinct aussie accent. That was definitely Miranda, but her voice was strained. She sounded like she was injured, but also... pleading. Shepard snapped a glance over in the direction of her voice and found her hunched over, on the ground, beside a desk. Her right cheek was scratched up and covered in blood. She looked up at him and their eyes met, but the look in her eyes was different. Instead of her confident, cool, and calculating look, there was fear, desperation, even helplessness. She never had that look in her eyes. The only time she would let her defenses down like this was if her-

Shepard snapped his attention back to the hostage situation and eyed the young woman closer. He had only seen the girl once before, and that was from afar off, but now he saw it. This was definitely Miranda's sister, Oriana. Then that meant the man behind her was none other than _Henry Lawson_.

"Commander Shepard. Excellent timing," sneered Lawson as he pulled Oriana closer to better shield himself.

Shepard felt his face twist into a look of disgust, not because of Lawson, but because he found himself hesitating to shoot Oriana's leg. _Damn it! Miranda would kill me if I hurt her_. Crippling the hostage was currently out of the question. He would have to try a more traditional approach.

"Put the gun down," ordered Shepard in a low, dark tone as he tried to line up a shot. But even with his precise aiming, it would be too risky to fire without harming Oriana; the assault rifle's accuracy was too low for such a delicate situation; Lawson had the terrified girl perfectly placed.

"No. Oriana tried to shoot me. Miranda's poisonous influence, no doubt," he growled as he eyed Miranda.

"I'm sorry she missed." Shepard began to feel uneasy. This was the facility's main control room, so any valuable data would be stored here, but his main target was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Kai Leng?"

Lawson shrugged. "I don't know. Gone. He took my research and left us here to die."

Garrus grunted, confirming that the room was clear. Shepard was fuming on the inside. Yet again, the assassin managed to elude him and his inevitable demise. The next time they met, Shepard wanted nothing more than to crush the assassin's legs and watch him attempt to crawl away from him.

Movement caught Shepard's eye as Miranda rolled over onto her knees, moaning in pain. She reached up to the desk next to her and used it to pull herself up to her feet.

"Miranda, are you all right?" Shepard asked, instinctively taking a step toward her.

"That's close enough. Both of you!" warned Lawson, his eyes darting back and forth between Shepard and Miranda. "Kai Leng didn't finish the job, but I will." His knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip on the pistol.

Shepard snapped his cold blue eyes on the man and gave him a threatening look. "This ends here."

"On the contrary. Now that the Reapers are taken care of, we have a way out."

Shepard narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice to a menacing level. "Let her go."

Shepard's threats were having no affect on the man. He wasn't even flinching under has soul piercing stare. Lawson knew that his life relied on keeping his gun and his hold on Oriana, losing either of them would do him in. Shepard kept his intense gaze upon the man as he calculated out a plan.

"Shepard..." Miranda panted in between short, uneven breaths, "Don't let him take her."

"What exactly do you think you've created here?" asked Shepard.

"Hope," Lawson replied. "Few people have the stomach to do what it takes to survive. What we learned here will save countless lives. I will be seen as the savior of the human race."

"I doubt that," sneered Shepard.

The man was smart, he knew to only give short answers so as not to give anything away that Shepard might use against him, but he tripped up, and a flash of worry in his eyes showed the he realized it. _Pride._

Shepard should have known. He recalled all the times that Miranda spoke of her father and what he wanted most. The man was a powerful, egomaniacal businessman whose leading goal in life was to create a lasting dynasty. That was why he engineered Miranda to be perfect, and after she 'failed,' he created Oriana. Now with both his creations against him and his research facility all but destroyed, he would need to figure out something else to create his dynasty, and to do that, he would need live.

"Shepard... please," pleaded Oriana, her voice trembling with fear as tears poured down her face.

"You try to leave with her, you die. Let her go, and maybe you walk," said Shepard.

"I've done nothing to you," spat Lawson.

"This isn't about you and me. Let her go, and walk away. I won't say it again."

Shepard kept his piercing gaze focused on Lawson, judging every minute change to his expression. Lawson was being careful to stay stone-faced, but a slight quiver of his lips gave him away. Lawson knew he was backed into a corner and only had two options: accept Shepard's offer, or attempt to take the upper-hand by putting the gun up to Oriana's head and wagering her life. If he chose the latter, Shepard would have to resort to shooting Oriana in the leg to get a clear shot at Lawson. As much as he would hate to harm Miranda's sister, if the situation called for it, he would do it.

Lawson stared shrewdly at Shepard, mulling over the offer given to him. Shepard matched his stare, but then softened his features. If he backed the man too far into the corner, he would feel trapped and do something drastic. But, if he eased up, the man might feel more inclined to trust him and accept his offer. If not, then things could get ugly quickly.

After a moment, Lawson shoved Oriana to the floor, but kept his gun pointed straight at Shepard.

"All right. Take her. But I want out alive. Deal?"

A devilish grin spread across Shepard's face as his finger tightened around the trigger. He never had any intentions of actually letting this man walk. Lawson's face lit up in terror as he realized this and began to fire. Before he could get a single shot off, he was hit in the chest by a force so powerful that it crushed his ribcage and sent him careening off his feet, through the expansive observatory window, and down into the test labs far below.

"No deal," breathed Miranda, glaring at the window she just threw her father through. Shepard stared at Miranda, momentarily stunned. He had seen Miranda perform wonders with her biotics before. Wonders that even some of the best alien biotics would have trouble repeating, but never before had he seen her strike a man with such force. All that rage toward her father, finally being unleashed into one powerful strike. No wonder Jack's biotics seemed more powerful when she was on Pragia.

Shepard smiled and collapsed his assault rifle, storing it on his back. He would have loved to have put a few rounds into Lawson's head himself, but the look on the man's face as he fell to his death was priceless. No shot to the head could replicate that.

Miranda rushed over and knelt down by her sister. "Did he hurt you? Are you all right?"

Her eyes darted over every inch of her sister, looking for any signs of injury. Finding none, she helped her to her feet and immediately enveloped her in a tight embrace. "It's okay, Ori. You're safe now."

"I'm fine," she said. "I just... I want to get out of here."

"We will." Miranda pulled out of the embrace and wiped the tears from her sister's cheeks. "Give me a minute, okay?"

Miranda gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulders and turned toward Shepard.

"Shepard... I can't believe it's you," she sighed as she walked up to him. When she drew near, he placed his hands on the small of her back and pulled her in. She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck so that they were cheek to cheek. The touch of her soft, perfect skin to his face sent a warm shiver down his spine.

"We caught a break. I'm just glad we got here in time."

"As am I." She pulled back a little and slid her hands from around his neck and down to his chest. She traced the N7 logo on his chest plate with her finger. "Never saw myself as a damsel in distress," she confessed. Her cheeks reddened; she was not accustomed to needing rescued, let alone ever admitting it to anyone.

"How did you do all this?"

She stepped away from him and crossed her arms. "Finding my father didn't take long once I confirmed he worked for the Illusive Man. Just had to follow the lies." She took a few steps toward the broken observatory window and looked down at the labs below. "Once I saw what this place really was... I couldn't just walk away."

"Of course."

"Things got really complicated when Reapers showed up. And Kai Leng."

Shepard thought her tone sounded a bit disappointed.

"You survived. Not many people could do that," he pointed out.

"When you mentioned Kai Leng was involved, I took a few precautions. Probably saved my life."

She still sounded disappointed. Shepard didn't know exactly why. He could only assume that Miranda was attributing her survival on the information and resources he sent her, rather than her own abilities.

"You broke into a fortified Cerberus lab while it was being attacked by Reapers," he emphasized, trying to get her to appreciate what she was able to do. "I think you did okay."

"I needed to find Oriana. Nothing was going to stop me."

"You found her. And I found you. That's all that matters"

She turned around and looked up into his eyes. "Did you worry?"

"Of course I worried." He moved toward her and raised a hand to caress her cheek. She leaned her head into his hand. Goosebumps crawled up his arm as he supported her warm face in his hand. Her eyes fluttered shut as she enjoyed the warm touch to her cheek. A faint smile brushed her face.

"It was nothing I couldn't handle." Her voice fluctuated playfully. Her smile broadened as she opened her eyes and looked up into his eyes.

"I know." He returned the smile and lowered his hand to her shoulder as he glanced at her sister. "At least Oriana is safe."

Her smile faded as she looked over at her. "Yes."

Her expression wasn't as relieved as he assumed it would have been. She kept her gaze on Oriana for a moment and then looked down at the floor. "I just wish she didn't have to see all this."

Shepard didn't know what to say. Miranda would always blame herself for the trauma that Oriana had to endure today, and nothing he could say now would change that. Part of him wanted to say, 'She needs to suck it up and move on,' but not everyone is as steel hearted as he is. Not everyone had to endure the shock and trauma of losing everything and everyone at a young age to batarian slavers. Some people enjoyed normal, peaceful lives, where any exposure to a firefight would leave lasting scars.

"About your father..." he heard himself say, his subconscious deciding for him what to say.

Miranda moved to a nearby desk and leaned back against it. "I'm glad he's gone, Shepard. I'm sorry if that sounds cold."

"No, I understand."

Miranda leaned forward, picked up a chair that had been knocked over, and sat in it. She looked back over at the broken observatory window and stared off into the distance. She appeared to be deep in thought. A few silent moments went by as she sat there.

"It's finally over," she said, the reality of her new situation beginning to kick in. "For both of us. We can stop running." She glanced over at her sister. Miranda looked exhausted, but happy. A huge burden had finally been lifted off her shoulders.

"Yes, you can," affirmed Shepard.

Deciding to give her some time to herself, Shepard went over to Garrus and Liara, who were hunched over a data terminal. "What's our status? Any intel we can use from this place?"

"The research data's gone," Liara replied as she continued scanning through numerous files, "but there's basic facility information. Shuttle arrivals and departures. Cerberus included. No direct links, but it's a good start."

_Damn it! Why can there never just be a huge flashing sign that says, 'Over Here!'_ Shepard shook his head in frustration.

"Grab anything you can off the computer. We'll take it back to be analyzed."

He knew Liara's connections as Shadow Broker would bring forth results, but how long would it take? The Illusive Man already had the Prothean VI and was probably on the verge of discovering what and where the Catalyst was. The Crucible was useless without the Catalyst and Shepard needed to find it before the Illusive Man.

"I can do better than that."

"What?" Shepard spun around to see Miranda approaching him. She was looking down at a small device in her hands, a smug look on her face.

"Before Kai Leng took off, I planted a tracer on him." Shepard gaped at her as she handed the device to him. "If you act fast, you'll track him right to the Illusive Man."

"A tracer?" Shepard repeated, shocked that his chance to find Kai Leng and the Illusive Man just became a reality. "Sounds like you thought of everything."

"Not quite, but... Nobody's perfect."

Shepard moved in closer and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Thanks, Miranda. This is... exactly what we need."

"Thought you might need some good news."

"Damn right. What's next for you two?"

"Get her someplace safe. Get this scratch cleaned up."

Having Miranda so close again made him realize how much he missed her, how attached he was. His current squad lacked the talents and capabilities that Miranda had, and he needed them. He needed her.

"Dr. Chakwas can look at that for you." He figured it was worth a shot. If he could get her to come aboard the Normandy, perhaps he could persuade her to stay.

"It's barely something to be concerned about. I can take care of it myself."

Shepard knew she would require some persuading to get her on the Normandy. "Then let your sister see her. She's been through a lot. It wouldn't hurt for her to see a doctor."

"I don't want to trouble you any more. You've already done a great deal for me and my sister. You need to focus on Kai Leng."

"It's no trouble at all. Besides, we need time to verify the tracer's information and come up with a plan of attack."

Miranda placed her hands on her hips and looked over at her sister, debating whether to accept his offer or not. Shepard studied her, waiting for an answer.

"You're right. It wouldn't hurt if she were to see a doctor...and it'd be nice to be back on the Normandy, for a short while."

Shepard could feel a smug look beginning to creep onto his face, but he quickly converted it to a pleased look. Miranda was too easy to read and sway when it involved her sister. He felt a little guilty for using her weakness against her, but it got what he wanted, and he would rely on it for what was yet to come.

"The Normandy has missed you."

"I'll meet you there." Miranda gave Shepard a playful wink before heading for the door. "Come on, Ori. Let's go. We've had enough of father's hospitality."

Shepard watched the two leave before facing Garrus and Liara. "Let's make sure everyone knows about this place."

Garrus spun around and slid over to the main console, eager to do something other than read numerous files over Liara's shoulder. Garrus tapped away at the controls and, within seconds, a computerized voice rang through the room, "Communication scrambler disabled."

"Listen to me," Miranda's warning began playing, "this is not a refugee camp. This is a Cerberus facility run by my father, Henry Lawson..."

Shepard put a hand up to his ear. "Cortez," he called through the comm channel. "We need a pick up at the tower."

"Roger that. ETA 5 minutes."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**First off, thank you for checking this story out. This is my first major writing project ever. Please leave constructive criticism, I'm eager to improve so I can provide an engaging and thrilling experience to a series I love.**

**As you probably noticed, the majority of this chapter is straight from the game, but novelized. This gave me a good foundation to start out on as I work my way up to writing original and exciting chapters that only resemble events in the game, not simply rehashing the game in novel form.**


	2. Chapter 2: Persuading Miranda

_Chapter II_

_Persuading Miranda_

Shepard entered the comm room and stepped toward the control panel. A red button was flashing, indicating that there was an incoming call. Shepard pressed the button and looked up as the vid comm hummed to life. A blue, holographic figure of Admiral Hackett began to materialize, but the figure was unstable and distorted. Shepard tweaked with the controls and soon the figure took on a proper form of Hackett. Shepard clasped his hands behind his back and gave a slight nod to the Admiral, signaling that the connection had been successfully established.

"I wasn't in favor of your diversion to Sanctuary, Commander," rang Hackett's low, raspy voice. "Too many unknowns. But I was wrong. The Cerberus lab you raided hinted at something big, but we never expected this. All those refugees, all that... slaughter. Just to study indoctrination."

"Sanctuary did need to be shut down, sir. What they learned about the Reapers wasn't worth all those lives."

"It's useful intel, Commander... but you're right. The cost was too high. Do we have a location on the Illusive Man?"

"Yes." Shepard typed in a few commands on the control panel and sent Hackett the coordinates. "We had a tracer on Kai Leng when he reported back."

Hackett's figure glanced down to it's right, presumably looking at a computer on his end. He nodded and looked back up at Shepard. "Good. That gives us a fighting chance to take Cerberus out of this war."

"Agreed. We need to end Cerberus and focus on the Reapers."

"My thoughts exactly. But Commander-"

_Great. Now what?_ Whatever was about to follow usually involved bad news or a political diversion that Shepard would have to deal with before getting back to the task at hand.

"-what is this I hear about bringing the former Cerberus second-in-command aboard? Do you realize the risks that are involved?"

Shepard felt his shoulders relax as a wave of relief rushed over him; it wasn't another request to play politician. He could remain focused on wiping out Cerberus once and for all, and retrieving the Prothean VI.

"We can count on her. She helped me destroy the Collector base instead of handing it over to the Illusive Man. That was her way of resigning. She's been on the run from them ever since."

Hackett shook his head. "I'm not going to lie, Commander, I don't like this."

Shepard wasn't surprised that Hackett had some reservations. Hackett often questioned various choices Shepard made that he didn't fully agree with, but he was quick to accept them once Shepard pointed out how they were necessary to get the job done.

"She's the one who placed the tracer on Kai Leng, giving us this chance. Without her, we'd be wasting time analyzing countless files, hoping they point to the Illusive Man's location. By the time we find him, he'd be long gone. She'll be a vital addition to my team." _If I can get her to stay._

Hackett raised a hand and thoughtfully stroked his chin as he mulled over the situation. Finally, he shook his head and clasped his hands behind his back.

"I may not like this, Commander, but I trust you. If you believe she will help us, then I'll support your decision. Just be aware of the dangers. There's too much at stake if this goes south."

"Understood, sir."

"You have done a helluva job thus far. Keep it up. Hackett, out."

Hackett's figure fizzled out and the humming softened as the vid comm powered down. The only sound left was the constant drone of the Normandy's drive core as they traveled at FTL speed toward the nearest Mass Relay.

Shepard turned around and made his way out of the comm room. He descended the steps that led to the center of the War Room and walked up to the large, circular war terminal. It had a large holographic image of the Crucible projected over it. Shepard leaned forward and placed his hands on the terminal, watching the Crucible slowly rotate as he figured out how he would confront Miranda.

The door to the War Room opened, interrupting Shepard's thoughts. Shepard looked up to see who it was and saw Kaiden quickly entering the room with a stern, inquisitive look on his face, meaning something was bothering him.

"Kaiden. Something the matter?" Shepard asked, standing up straight and cocking an eyebrow.

Kaiden stood still at the other end of the war terminal. He looked nervous. Whatever he had to say, Shepard wasn't going to like it. "Hey Commander. Do you mind explaining what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"About bringing Cerberus on board."

Shepard shrugged. "They're refugees."

It was somewhat true. Oriana could definitely be classified as a refugee, and since Miranda was not with Cerberus or the Alliance, it could be said that she too was a refugee.

Kaiden didn't seem to buy it. He made his way around the terminal and closer to Shepard.

"Maybe one of them is, but the other is definitely Cerberus. I know it. I saw her with you on Horizon when the Collectors attacked."

Shepard narrowed his eyes. He didn't like where this was going. It took him long enough to get the Major off his back about his time with Cerberus. How much more grief would he have to endure about Miranda?

"Trust me. She isn't Cerberus, not anymore."

"How do you know?"

"Just like me, she left Cerberus after we destroyed the Collector base. I was there when she told the Illusive Man to go to hell."

"But unlike you when you returned to Earth, she wasn't kept under constant surveillance. For all we know, she's still Cerberus."

"If she's still Cerberus, then why did Kai Leng try to kill her at Sanctuary? Believe me, she isn't Cerberus."

"How can you be so sure?"

_Damn it! Why does everyone still question me?_ Shepard was sick and tired of people not believing him. First there was the Council not believing him about the Reapers, even after one attacked the Citadel. Then on Horizon, Kaiden didn't believe he was really himself, simply because he was working with Cerberus. Now that the Reapers were here, proving the he had been right all along, people still doubted him and questioned his decisions. _What more do I need to do before people just accept my word and fall in line?_

Shepard curled his hands into fists, trying to keep his rising anger under control.

"Why is it so difficult for you to believe me? If I say she's not Cerberus, then that should be damn plenty for you to..."

"Don't you think it's a little too convenient that she was able to place a tracer on Kai Leng? Hell, we ran into him twice and weren't able to do that. But she's able to do that on her first run-in? Something's not right."

Shepard's knuckles were whitening as his fists grew tighter, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands. "Probably because she's far more capable than you'll ever be," he growled through clenched teeth, but Kaiden didn't seem to hear him.

"And what about her sister? She could be a Cerberus spy as well. For all we know, she could be indoctrinated from spending so much time at that facility!"

"That's enough!" roared Shepard, slamming his fists down on the terminal. This pointless conversation was over and Shepard was going to make sure it ended now. "I've had enough of your..."

"Commander, allow me," interjected a cool female voice.

Shepard snapped his head up at the intruding figure and opened his mouth to let loose a sea of obscenities, but stopped immediately once he realized it was Miranda standing in the doorway. Her arms were crossed and she had a calm, yet furious, gaze focused on Kaiden, who had spun around to face the intruder. She made her way toward them, making each step slow and deliberate so that her footsteps echoed loudly throughout the room, like a countdown to the unpleasantries that were about to follow. With each one of her steps, Shepard's anger simmered down, while Kaiden's face grew whiter.

"Ah, Kaiden," she said, using the same 'Ice Queen' tone she used with Shepard when they first met. "Seems like nothing has changed since I saw you on Horizon. Still having trust issues with the Commander?"

Kaiden seemed frozen, unable to move under Miranda's frigid gaze. His face was whiter than snow, but something seemed to be feeding him confidence as he stood up straighter.

"It's not Shepard I don't trust, it's you."

"Yet here you are, not trusting the Commander."

"You came up out of nowhere and gave us exactly what we needed at the exact moment we needed it. It's too perfect."

Miranda remained silent, allowing Kaiden to continue.

"Cerberus has been hell-bent on stopping us, on killing Shepard. How do we know this isn't a trap?"

"I'll put this gently for you so you can understand. First, Cerberus is an idea - to advance the human race. The group known as Cerberus is now nothing more than the terrorist organization you think it is. If they were truly Cerberus, they would have been the first to rally behind Shepard. Whatever happened to change them must have taken place after we stopped the Collectors. Second..."

Kaiden opened his mouth to speak, but Miranda shot him a fierce look that immediately froze him up.

"I devoted two years to bringing Shepard back from the dead as the same man he was before the Normandy was destroyed - the same mind, the same morales, the same personality. I would not have devoted that much time and energy to then destroy the greatest man humanity has to offer. I intend for humanity to survive this war, but for that to happen we need Shepard. He's the only one who can lead us to victory, and I'll do everything that I can to make sure he doesn't fail. If he does, then I would have failed, and I _never_ fail.

"And third." Her tone became even colder as she lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in toward Kaiden. "If you ever say or think ill of my sister again, I'll kill you. Do I make myself clear?"

Short, simple, yet soul chilling. Shepard heard plenty of death threats throughout his career, but Miranda's ranked up there with Sovereign's. Whatever courage Kaiden had left, it failed him.

"N-No, I didn't mean... I-I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Good." Miranda stood up straight. "Now, is there anything else you have to say to the Commander?"

Kaiden turned toward Shepard, but avoided his gaze. "I'm sorry, Commander. I just..."

"Don't let it happen again," warned Shepard.

"I... Yes, sir." Kaiden snapped a sharp salute. "Let's just hurry up and end this war."

Shepard nodded as Kaiden faced Miranda, thanked her for her help, and then left as quickly as he came. When the door slid shut behind him, Shepard let out an exasperated sigh. He hoped that these Kaiden-Cerberus confrontations would end once they took out the Illusive Man. Shepard looked over at Miranda. She had her hands on her hips and was eyeing him with a concerned look.

"I've never seen you lash out at a team member before," she said. "You usually have more self-control."

"I've been under a lot of stress," he admitted.

"I don't doubt it." Miranda moved closer to Shepard and placed her hands on his chest. "Look at all that you've accomplished to unite the galaxy. A lesser man would have been crushed under that kind of pressure."

A smug smile spread across Shepard's lips. "What did you expect from the greatest man humanity has to offer?"

Miranda shoved him away. "Oh, shut up."

"You weren't just saying that, you actually meant it." His smile was growing larger.

"You ass," but she couldn't stop smiling. She tried looking away, but she knew he was still looking at her with that stupid smile. "Stop smiling, damn it!"

Shepard chuckled as Miranda took a few steps away from him, trying to compose herself. After a brief moment, she turned back around. "Oriana would like to see you."

"Everything all right?"

"Everything's fine. She'd just like to thank you in person. This is the second time you've helped her in a tremendous way."

"Sure."

Shepard made his way around the war terminal and, as he was passing by Miranda, gave her a teasing wink, which she shook her head at, trying not to smile. Shepard led the way out of the War Room as Miranda followed at his side, scrutinizing all the Normandy's retrofits.

"The Normandy has certainly changed. Can't say I agree with it all." They entered what had once been Mordin's lab, but was now a conference room. Miranda looked around the room disapprovingly.

"This lab played a vital role in our success against the Collectors. Now it's just some pointless conference room. You could just as easily conduct your meetings back there." She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the War Room. "The lab could have remained and been used to counteract Reaper technology, similar to what we did to resist the Seeker swarms." Miranda paused for a moment. "How is Mordin? Have you met up with him?"

"He's gone. Died a hero to cure the genophage."

"I'm sorry to hear that... He was a damn good scientist, one of the best."

"That's why he had to go. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

Those were the last words Mordin said to him before the elevator doors closed and his friend ascended to the top of the tower, but as the doors were closing, there was something Shepard thought he heard. "I could have sworn he was humming."

"Humming?"

"It sounded like the song he sang to me."

Miranda gaped at Shepard. "Wait. He sang to you?"

"Yeah. You didn't know he once performed Gilbert and Sullivan?"

A grin tugged at the corners of Miranda's lips. "I... I had no idea."

Shepard chuckled as he recalled the singing incident that took place in this very room. "It was a sight to behold."

Shepard began retelling how he got Mordin to sing for him as they went through the security checkpoint, which Miranda found utterly pointless, and toward the elevator. The monitor on the door showed that the lift was currently on their level. Shepard waved his hand over the control panel and the door slid open. He led the way in and selected for the crew deck. The door slid shut and the elevator began its descent.

Miranda stepped forward and hit the emergency switch, stopping the elevator. Shepard gave her an inquisitive look, but was immediately shoved up against the wall, where he found himself locked in a deep, passionate kiss. After everything he had been through, Shepard decided to give in to the kiss. It had always been a game between them to be the one in control, but Shepard earned a break. He'd allow her to have control of this situation. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her's around his neck, both pulling each other closer.

Whether they kissed for a few seconds or a couple of minutes, it felt too soon when Miranda pulled away. Her hot breath on his face and her lips being mere inches away from his aroused a hunger that he hadn't felt in a long time. Shepard leaned in for another kiss, but she held him back. He gave her an annoyed look as he moved a hand to the back of her head to pull her toward him, but she had a devious grin on her face, which made him stop.

Shepard remained still for a moment, trying to figure out what game she was playing at. Then he realized it. _The elevator's moving_. He glanced down at the control panel behind him and saw that she had started the lift back up by hitting the emergency switch with her knee.

Miranda stepped away from Shepard and gave him a playful wink. Shepard groaned and gave her a look that promised she would pay for this tease. Miranda matched him with a look of her own, daring him to try.

The elevator slowed to a stop. Shepard straightened his uniform and took a deep breath to calm his hungering lust. The door slid open and the two stepped off as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Miranda led the way to the medical bay at a brisk pace. She opened the door and they were greeted with laughter. Dr. Chakwas was leaning against her desk, trying to finish her story to Oriana, who had a blanket wrapped around her and was sitting in Dr. Chakwas' chair, but the two were so choked up with laughter that they were having trouble speaking.

"Oh, hello Commander," Dr. Chakwas managed to blurt out. She took a few deep breaths to try to stifle her laughter so she could speak clearly. "I was just telling her about... Oh, you wouldn't know. You were off exploring some world in the Mako."

"I need to speak with Oriana and Miranda in private," Shepard said.

"Of course, Commander. I'll be in the mess if you need me."

Shepard stepped aside as Dr. Chakwas walked past him. Once the door closed he locked it. He knew Miranda was giving him a questioning look, but he didn't bother explaining. Instead, he turned to Oriana.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

Oriana swiveled around to face him and smiled. "I'm feeling a lot better now. Thanks for asking, Commander."

"You wanted to see me?"

"I need to thank you, for everything. You saved me twice. You also brought me and my sister together. Everything seems to be so much better knowing I have someone like her watching over me."

"You certainly have an amazing sister."

"But none of this would have happened without you, Commander. I can't thank you enough. So if there's anything I can do to ever begin repaying you, please let me know."

Shepard knew that this was as good of a time as any to try to persuade Miranda to stay and to let Oriana find safety without her.

"There is something I need from both of you."

"Yes! What is it?"

Oriana was eagerly leaning forward in her chair, but Shepard could see that Miranda had her arms crossed. He knew that she had been wary of him from the moment he locked the door. Miranda was very attached to her sister, so he was going to have to keep this as gentle as possible.

"I need you to find refuge on your own. I'll need Miranda's help for my upcoming mission."

"What?" exclaimed Miranda. "Shepard, no! I will not allow my sister to go alone. It's too dangerous!"

"She won't be alone," said Shepard, turning his head toward Miranda. "We can request a pickup from an Alliance vessel and they can transport her to..."

"To _another_ refugee facility? After what she witnessed on Horizon? I don't think so!"

Miranda's voice was already rising. He would have to take extra precautions to keep his tone down and maintain control of the situation.

"Then where do you plan to take her?"

"I-I don't know." Miranda turned her back to Shepard. He was surprised that Miranda didn't already know. Knowing her, she usually had everything figured out.

"I have a few ideas, but I need to make sure they're safe," she quickly added, sensing his surprise.

"Nowhere is safe, Miranda. The only way you can keep your sister safe is if you stay here and help me defeat the Reapers."

"I want to stay, Shepard. Believe me. But I can't think straight until Oriana is safe."

"What happened to that little speech you gave Kaiden? The part where you said you would do everything to make sure I don't fail."

"Shepard." EDI's voice echoed through the room's speakers.

"Not now, EDI," warned Shepard.

"If you allow Miss Lawson to leave with her sister, I will be able..."

"I said not now!"

"Very well."

Shepard returned his focus to Miranda, continuing as if that interruption never happened. "This war requires sacrifice. If we are to succeed, we need to be willing to let go of everything - friends and family, loved ones, even our own lives. Anything less and the Reapers have won."

Miranda just stood there, shaking her head and keeping her back facing Shepard.

"I'm sorry, Miranda. But if you want to keep you sister safe, you have to stay with me. No matter where you try to hide her, the Reapers will eventually find her."

Shepard moved closer to Miranda so that he was right behind her. It was very slight, but he could tell her shoulders were shaking. He placed a calming hand on them, trying to reassure her through his touch.

"There are billions of people counting on you. Don't sacrifice all their lives just to save one."

"DAMN IT, SHEPARD!"

There was a blinding flash of purple before something heavy slammed into Shepard's chest, throwing him back against the door. His head crashed into the door and he saw stars as he dropped to one knee, clutching his chest as he tried to breathe. It felt like a krogan had just head-butted him in the chest.

"This is my sister we're talking about!"

Shepard expected that there would be some yelling and arguing, but definitely not a response like that. He thought he had calculated out every variation the conversation could have gone, but he never expected that.

He struggling to breathe, but was finally able to get some deeper, though painful, breaths, enough to talk. "For someone who claims they're not good at being attached..."

Shepard's chest was painfully protesting; talking was too much for it. Suddenly, Shepard felt like the room's artificial gravity shut off as he found himself suspended in the air, calmly floating above the ground. _Shit. I went too far..._

"Miri, no!" shrieked Oriana.

Shepard felt a rush of wind as he was sent hurtling across the room, slamming into the wall, and falling heavily onto his back. His head was throbbing loudly. He groaned as he rolled over onto his stomach, his chest shrieking from the exertion. He laid there for a moment, trying to grasp what just happened, where the conversation went wrong. He was perplexed by Miranda's actions, they were very uncharacteristic of her. _What happened to her?_

Shepard got up onto his knees and slowly pushed himself to his feet. His head was throbbing so much that it was difficult for him to hear. He could barely make out Miranda's and EDI's voices. Miranda did not sound pleased.

"Damn it, EDI!" she roared. "What do you mean you can't override the lock? Shepard!" Miranda spun around on her heels and stormed toward him. "Open this door!"

Her face was distorted with rage and her eyes were flashing wildly. She didn't look like this when she faced her father. She was like a vicious, caged in animal trying to escape. Shepard tensed up as Miranda became enveloped in biotic energy. _Not again..._

"Miri, stop!" shrieked Oriana.

Shepard flinched as he heard the sound of biotic energy being unleashed, and again was sent crashing to the floor. His head felt like it was going to split open. He tried to lift his hands to his head so he could make sure it didn't fall apart, but they couldn't move, something was on top of him. Shepard opened his eyes and tried to make out whatever was on top of him, but all that he could see were stars.

Despite all the pain he was in, part of him began to feel strangely relaxed. He didn't have to think about it much before he realized exactly what it was: a very distinct and soothing aroma. He'd recognize it anywhere. _Miranda? How the hell...?_

Miranda groaned and pushed herself off of Shepard. His vision was quickly becoming clearer and, as he looked over at Miranda, he could see that her face was no longer twisted with rage, but rather was filled with shock and confusion. Shepard propped himself up on his elbows, groaning in the process, and looked at what she was gaping at. He only saw it for a brief moment, but Oriana had been enveloped with biotic energy. _She's a biotic too? Well, she is Miranda's twin._

"I'm sorry Miri, but the Commander's right," Oriana apologized.

Miranda could only blink. She just gave her sister a perplexed look.

"He needs you more than I do. Besides..." Oriana held up a small datapad.

Quickly coming to her senses, Miranda pushed herself up off the floor. "What is that?"

"Father's personal datapad."

Miranda stared at the datapad, baffled. Seeing her sister's expression, Oriana began explaining.

"After Father captured me and took me to Sanctuary, he kept me very close, making sure I didn't try to escape or be snatched away by you. During all that time around him, I noticed that he always had this with him. He never parted with it. I figured it was invaluable to him. So, while I was his... hostage, I picked it off him."

"What kind of information is on it?" Miranda asked, rubbing her head as she started walking toward Oriana.

Oriana looked down at the datapad and began scrolling through various files. "I've barely been able to look at it, but I think I found something interesting. Here. This one. An underground bunker, like a safe house." She began skimming through the file. "It seems that he had it constructed to live through the Reaper invasion. After completion he... oh my god!"

"What is it?"

"He had everyone involved... killed! Even erased every file that contained any information about this..."

"Sounds like him. Bastard. He wanted to make sure he was the only one in the galaxy who knew of its existence."

"Then, if that's the case, I should be safe there, right?" Oriana looked up at Miranda.

"Safer than most places," Shepard interjected as he slowly got to his feet. Speaking was still painful, but he ignored it. "The Reapers use several methods to find colonies and facilities. They can either hack into and sift through every file out there, or send indoctrinated servants, disguised as refugees."

"How do you know that?" Oriana asked. Miranda didn't look at him, but seeing how she slightly inclined an ear toward him, he knew she was thinking the same thing.

"I ran into an old Prothean VI named Vigil on Ilos," he began explaining as he made his way toward the two, still clutching his chest. "It told me what methods the Reapers used to track down the remnants of their civilization. If every file except that datapad was deleted and you're now the only person who knows of its existence, that may be safest place in the galaxy. Will you be able to gain access?"

Oriana dove her nose into the datapad and begin searching through the file. She nodded and looked up. "Every password and security clearance is listed here. I should have no a problem getting in."

"As long as she's the only one who knows where this place is, she'll be safe?" asked Miranda, turning her head toward Shepard, but avoiding his gaze.

"Should be, yes."

Shepard studied Miranda carefully, trying to figure out what she was thinking. He was relieved to see that her body language indicated that she was planning to let Oriana go. _Did that hit really knock some sense back into her?_

"Good," Miranda replied with a heavy sigh. "Then all that's left is making sure you get there safely."

"She can take whatever you've been flying," Shepard suggested. "If it's good enough to help you break into a fortified Cerberus base, while it's being attack by Reapers, taking Oriana to where she needs to go should be easy enough."

"That's just what I was thinking."

It was remarkable how quickly Miranda could recompose herself, no matter the incident. Except for a few strands of hair, Miranda seemed like she never lost control of herself. Shepard made his way to the medical bay door and unlocked it.

"Be sure you get some food and rest before you decide to leave," he said, turning to Oriana. "It'll be a long journey."

"Thank you, Commander," she replied.

Immediately, the door flew open and a very concerned Dr. Chakwas was staring at Shepard.

"What is going on in here?"

"Everything is fine," he assured her. "We just had a little disagreement."

Shepard tried to squeeze by her, but she put a hand up to his chest and pushed him back in. He winced under the pressure.

"Stay, Commander. Everyone in the mess, including myself, just saw you get flung around like a rag doll. I'm going to need to examine you."

Without putting up a fight, Shepard headed for the nearest examination table and hopped up on it. Dr. Chakwas followed him, pulled up her Omni-tool, and began scanning him. Miranda and Oriana were talking quietly to themselves. After a moment, they made their way to the door. Miranda turned around and looked at Shepard.

"Oriana has had a long day. We'll be in your room."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Good, because I wasn't asking for permission."

With that, she turned around and left. Dr. Chakwas glanced up at Shepard and cocked an eyebrow.

"I must say, Commander. You two have the strangest relationship, but it works."

Shepard hadn't noticed that he was smiling. He stared at the door for another moment before turning to Dr. Chakwas.

"You think so, huh?"

Dr. Chakwas only answered him with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3: Two Priority Missions

_Chapter III_

_Two Priority Missions_

"Commander! Commander, wake up!"

Shepard bolted up, his eyes flying open, but he was immediately blinded by the light. He held up an arm to shield his eyes and squinted around, trying to make out his surroundings. He was still on the examination table in the med bay and there was a large, blurry figure standing to his right.

"Status report!" He barked at whoever it was.

"Everything is fine, Commander," came Liara's voice. "We're still en route to the mass relay. I'm sorry for waking you," she added as Shepard turned to face her, letting his legs hang off the side of the examination table. "There's something I need to show you. It may be critical to our mission."

"What is it?" he asked, lowering his arm and looking at her dead in the eye, his vision adjusting quickly. He noticed that she was twiddling her fingers, an unconscious habit of hers when she was trying to contain her excitement.

"This better be good news, Liara."

Liara smiled and backed toward the door, implying that they walk and talk. Shepard pushed himself off of the table and followed. Liara pressed the sensor on the door to open it and led the way to her office.

"Whatever it is, Commander, it's powerful. Powerful enough to destroy a Reaper."

A few of the Normandy's crew members, who were eating at the table in the mess, overheard this and immediately began speculating what it might be.

"Go on," said Shepard after they passed the table.

"I intercepted two transmissions between Admiral Hackett and Dr. Garret Bryson; he's the head scientist of Task Force Aurora, a group devoted to the investigations of ancient legends about the Reapers."

"Wait." Shepard stopped. "Ancient legends about the Reapers? How do any exist? The Reapers leave no trace or evidence of their existence after each cycle."

"The Reapers do a very thorough job, but they're not perfect. The Prothean beacon on Eden Prim proves that. They're also not perfect when disposing destroyed Reapers."

"So, you found a derelict Reaper with evidence of some weapon that's effective against them?"

"Not exactly." Liara motioned for Shepard to follow her into her office. He was growing skeptical by the second, but followed her in anyways. Once they entered, she went straight to her information terminal and pulled up a file. "Take a look to this."

She stepped aside so Shepard could read.

_[Automated transmission between Admiral Hackett and Dr. Bryson]_

_Hackett: Dr. Bryson, you have an update?_

_Dr. Bryson: Admiral, the 'Leviathan of Dis' that we've been investigating... I think we're really onto something._

_ Hackett: Give me the brief._

_ Dr. Bryson: About twenty years ago, the batarians discovered a Reaper corpse that had died in battle. They covered it up and denied it ever existed. But I'm intrigued by the larger implication._

_ Hackett: What could have killed the Reaper in the first place?_

_ Dr. Bryson: Exactly. That's the real Leviathan._

_ Hackett: It's worth pursuing. Continue your investigation and update me on the progress._

_[End transmission]  
_

Shepard narrowed his eyes in disappointment.

"I sincerely hope you have something more than this," he growled, not attempting to hide his skepticism.

"I do, Commander."

Shepard stepped back so Liara could lean in and pull up her next file.

_[Automated transmission between Admiral Hackett and Dr. Bryson]_

_Dr. Bryson: Admiral, the Reapers are shadowing my field teams as if they're hunting the Leviathan themselves. Whatever it is, I believe Leviathan is nothing less than a Reaper-killer - almost an apex predator - and it has them nervous. If we could just find it, imagine the impact on the war. I'm formally requesting assistance in tracking it down._

_ Hackett: You'll have it. This is now your top priority, Doctor. Find that thing_

_[End transmission]  
_

"What do you think, Commander?"

Shepard stroked his chin as he thought over the two files. No concrete or probable evidence had been given to prove that there was a connection between the Reaper corpse and Leviathan. With just these two files, the only interesting information was that the Reapers seemed to be shadowing the research teams. If the Reapers were trying to find Leviathan, then it demanded Shepard's attention, but with such little evidence to convince him, he wasn't buying into it.

"Either Dr. Bryson has enough evidence to convince Admiral Hackett to search for Leviathan, or we're already at a point of great desperation to be chasing after stories. The bit about the Reapers is interesting, but it could be coincidence; our entire civilization is being shadowed by Reaper forces." Shepard shook his head and crossed his arms. "I'm sorry, Liara. There's not enough information to sway me to believe that this Leviathan exists. We need to focus on Cerberus and the Prothean VI, but... I'm interested in why Admiral Hackett seemed so easily convinced. Try contacting Dr. Bryson, or hack into his computer if you have to, and discover what data he's found to get the Admiral on board with this investigation."

"Understood, Commander."

"Let me know immediately if you find anything substantial."

With that, Liara hunched over the terminal and feverishly began her search.

"Commander," Traynor's voice came through the Normandy's intercom. "Admiral Hackett wishes to speak with you on the vid comm."

_Speak of the devil._ Shepard spun around and marched out of Liara's office, straight for the elevator. He intended to ask the Admiral directly about Leviathan and what convinced him to believe in such a farfetched story. He was hoping that the Admiral had been persuaded through evidence and not out of desperation.

Only pausing momentarily for the security checkpoint, Shepard did not stop until he was in the comm room. He clasped his hands behind his back and answered the pending call. The familiar holographic image of Hackett materialized in front of him.

"Admiral," Shepard saluted.

"Commander," Hackett returned the salute. "I have some news that should interest you. For some time now, we've had a team called Task Force Aurora that's been dedicated to investigating and finding what we believe to be a Reaper-killer. Led by Dr. Garret Bryson, Aurora was on the verge of discovering where and what this Reaper-killer was, but Dr. Bryson was murdered by his own assistant several hours ago."

"Any idea why?"

"Derek Hadley, the assistant, claims that he didn't do it, despite the security footage clearly showing him shooting Dr. Bryson. C-Sec is currently investigating the crime. I know you're busy, Commander, but I would like you to look over the security footage. Maybe your experience with the Reapers will help you see something we've missed."

"You think the Reapers were behind this?"

"I believe Cerberus is, but I won't rule out the possibility of Reaper involvement. If Cerberus was behind this, we'll soon be at their doorstep to finish them off. If the Reapers were behind this, it further proves the significance of our investigation."

"Admiral, do you really believe there's some Reaper-killer out there?"

"I do, Commander. Dr. Bryson and his team have collected a significant amount of data tracking this thing. We also believe that the Reapers are searching for it. Every time Aurora's field teams are on the verge of a major breakthrough, the Reapers suddenly arrive and everything gets wiped out. It can't be coincidence. They must know something's out there. And they fear it."

"Or they could be protecting something from us," Shepard speculated.

"Whatever the case, the investigation and search must continue."

He still had his doubts, but knowing that there was sufficient data to convince the Admiral about the existence of some Reaper-killer, Shepard had more interest in aiding in the investigation.

"I'll take a look at the security footage and notify you if I find anything."

The Admiral nodded. "Good. Hackett, out."

Once Hackett disconnected, Shepard made his way back down to Liara's office. Shepard was curious about the data that was collected on Leviathan. Hackett mentioned that they had tracking data. Was Leviathan capable of moving throughout the galaxy? Is it not a weapon, but something else? Shepard contemplated the possible implications all the way to Liara's office.

"Commander," Liara jumped as he entered. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. I haven't been able to contact Dr. Bryson or anyone at his lab on the Citadel."

"Dr. Bryson is dead," Shepard said unsympathetically, moving toward Liara's information terminal and motioning her to step aside. "He was shot and killed by his assistant several hours ago. I have the security footage from the lab. Admiral Hackett wants to know if there's any possibility of Reaper involvement."

"How?"

"I don't know, so keep your eyes peeled for anything."

Shepard brought up and started the video on the screens in front of them.

The lab was moderately lit from a few overhanging lights, but most of the light was streaming in from the bottom of the screen - most likely windows. There were small parts and pieces of Reaper-tech scattered throughout the lab, even the head of a husk on a small display stand located on top of one of many desks. There were also strange skeletons and diagrams littering the lab. At the top right portion of the screen, there was a large galaxy map with several strange objects and artifacts near it. An older looking man was pacing that side of the lab. He would walk down to a desk, littered with datapads, check something, and walk back up to the galaxy map; all while muttering to himself.

On the far side of the lab, there was another much younger man, who was working at a computer on his desk.

"Hadley," the older man shouted, presumably Dr. Bryson. "I want to know what the hell is going on at Mahavid. Reestablish communications!"

"Sir, I'm trying," pleaded Hadley, "but there's only so much I can do."

"You heard Garneau's message. He found another artifact!" Dr. Bryson continued yelling, waving and pointing a datapad toward a large, spherical object near the galaxy map. "Find out what went wrong!"

"I'm trying!"

Dr. Bryson threw his datapad down on his cluttered desk, scattering others onto the floor.

"Damn our luck! I knew these artifacts would be the key to finding Leviathan," he muttered to himself. "Damn it!" He slammed his fists down on the desk. "Hadley! Find out if there are reports of Reaper forces near Mahavid."

Dr. Bryson continued pacing, now at a quicker, more agitated pace, while Hadley earnestly worked at his computer. After a moment, Hadley stopped working and began walking across the lab and into the section where Dr. Bryson was pacing.

"Garneau must have had a breakthrough with these artifacts," Dr. Bryson spoke to himself, facing the spherical object, which now seemed to be gleaming slightly. "He must know how they link to Leviathan. But how? Hadley's test gained no results..." Dr. Bryson looked up at the artifact. "Hadley!" Dr. Bryson spun around. "Hadley, the-"

A shot was fired. Dr. Bryson staggered backwards, clutching his chest. His face mortified and frozen with shock. He crumbled to the ground and was motionless. Hadley stood perfectly poised with a gun in his hand.

"The darkness cannot be breached," Hadley said cooly, before firing again.

"By the goddess!" Liara exclaimed.

Shepard wasn't fazed by the murder at all. What he was most interested in was how calm Hadley was. He wasn't shaking and he didn't hesitate when taking the shot. His poise resembled that of a seasoned killer. Coming from someone who was supposed to be a young researcher with no history of combat or bloodshed, it was incredibly eerie.

Save for lowering the gun down to his side, Hadley stood motionless - no panic, no feverish attempt to flee the scene - he just remained still.

"Something's not right. Why isn't he trying to escape?" Liara asked aloud.

Shepard was wondering the same thing. One possibility was that Hadley was persuaded to murder Dr. Bryson and then get arrested. Why? Shepard didn't know. He increased the video's pace, fast forwarding through until C-Sec arrived. Not once did Hadley move. Shepard returned the video's pace to normal and continued watching.

C-Sec officers stormed in, guns aimed at Hadley, and began shouting for him to drop his weapon. Hadley didn't budge. A turian took advantage of the opportunity, sprinted up and tackled Hadley to the ground. He was quickly followed by two other officers, one who kicked the gun out of Hadley's hand, the other who aided the turian in restraining and binding Hadley's hands behind his back.

"Wh-What's going on?" Hadley stammered.

"You're under arrest for the murder of Dr. Garret Bryson," the turian officer growled, dragging Hadley to his feet.

"Murder?! I... Who... I would never! I didn't do it! It wasn't me! Please, you must believe me!"

The three C-Sec officers ignored Hadley's pleads and shoved the bewildered young man out of the lab. More officers and investigators entered and began attending to the scene. Shepard watched them for a moment before pausing the video and reversing it to the starting point.

"That was... disturbing," Liara confessed, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand.

"What do you know about that artifact Dr. Bryson was referring to?" Shepard asked her, getting straight to business.

"I didn't have much time to find anything, but there was this file. I don't know if it's the exact test he mentioned, but it's relevant to Leviathan."

Liara leaned in and pulled up a file for Shepard to read.

_[Begin File]_

_Energy Emission Test_

_ Artifact P3X118_

_ Hadley, Derek_

_ Initial Tests:_

_ Artifact tests negative for infrared and ultraviolet emissions. No gamma or X-ray radiation detected._

_ Follow-up Tests:_

_ Artifact does not react to application of various stimuli. Internal readings inconclusive. No progress in determining age. Guess I stayed here all night finding out that this thing isn't really important. Fell asleep at desk._

_ Conclusion:_

_ Artifact is definitely inert and safe. Recommend keeping it here for reference. We should all be near it. May be more useful than Leviathan in long run. Recommend we abandon hunt for Leviathan and seek more productive studies._

_[End File]  
_

Shepard only had to read the file once before he began to formulate a theory. It was part of the conclusion that caught his eye: _'We should all be near it... Recommend we abandon hunt for Leviathan and seek more productive studies.'_

"Keep an eye on that spherical artifact in the corner," he said, pointing toward the screen. "It looked like Dr. Bryson noticed something just before he was shot. I think it might be the cause of all this."

"What do you mean, Commander?"

"Indoctrination. Reread the conclusion from Hadley's energy emission test. He says that they should all be near it and recommends abandoning their hunt for Leviathan. Whatever Leviathan is, I think it's trying to protect itself from being found."

"Do you think Leviathan can indoctrinate those close to that artifact?"

"It's a possibility. Watch it carefully."

Shepard played through the video again, observing any changes to the spherical object. The object remained dark and still, but just before Hadley started to leave his computer, the object began to gleam. It remained like that until Hadley was tackled to the ground by the C-Sec officer, at which point the object was dark and still as before.

"It may be coincidence, Commander, but I think we're on to something. The object does demonstrate some activity during the period we're assuming Hadley was indoctrinated."

"We won't know for sure, unless we can get a team to investigate what all Dr. Bryson and this Garneau knew."

"You want us to investigate? What about Cerberus?"

"Cerberus and the Prothean VI are our top priority, but in the meantime I want you to learn everything you can about Mahavid. It seems that the answers Dr. Bryson was looking may be found there."

Liara nodded and returned to work at her terminal.

"Commander," she said as he turned to leave. "What do you think Hadley meant by, 'the darkness cannot be breached?'"

Shepard paused for a moment.

"I don't know. But I don't think that was Hadley speaking."

With that, Shepard left Liara's office and made his way back up to the comm room to inform Admiral Hackett of what they believed happened. On the way up, he pondered whether it would be wise to send some of his own squad to aid the search for Leviathan. He had an idea of who he would send, but he would most likely need everyone when infiltrating Cerberus. Shepard likened this mission to that of the Collector's Base; a lone ship heading straight into the heart of a very dangerous enemy. He would need everyone to be at their best if they wanted a chance to succeed.

"Commander," came Hackett's low, raspy voice. "I assume you have an update?"

"I do, Admiral."

"Let's hear it," Hackett said as he clasped his hands behind his back and assumed a neutral stance.

"We believe Hadley was indoctrinated by a spherical artifact located in Dr. Bryson's lab. Dr. Bryson believed this artifact was the key to finding Leviathan and that their next breakthrough was going to come from someone named Garneau at Mahavid."

Hackett remained silent for a moment. "We have a scout team at Mahavid now, Commander. It was hit by a Reaper. However, the Reaper had been neutralized by the time the scout team arrived. I'm preparing to send an investigation team. I don't know how, but I think Leviathan just demonstrated it's Reaper-killing capabilities."

If that was true, then Leviathan must have been very close to Mahavid and the search almost successful. Shepard's desire to have a team of his own investigate grew considerably, but Cerberus was still his top priority.

"What's our status with Cerberus?" Shepard asked.

"Once we're committed against Cerberus, it won't be long before the Reapers take notice."

"And the Crucible?"

"Ready, except for the Catalyst, but there's no way to hide the ships we'll be sending at Cerberus. Once we attack, the Crucible won't stay safe for long. For all intents and purposes, an assault on Cerberus will be the first stage of our attack on Earth."

"What happens if Cerberus doesn't have the intel we need? Or they stop us from getting it?"

"Then we lead the fleets to Earth, and we take our chances. But your intel points to Cerberus and the Illusive Man holding the information we're looking for. And... we have the element of surprise. Cerberus won't know what hit them."

With the aid of a fleet and the element of surprise, Shepard was beginning to favor the idea of splitting up his squad. Having all of them would be excess now; they would all be better utilized if some were sent to help search for Leviathan.

"Sir, I would like to send a few of my squad members to aid the investigation of Leviathan."

"Commander?"

"As you said, we will have the element of surprise and an entire fleet when we attack Cerberus. I won't need everyone on my squad to accomplish our mission."

"This is a risky call, Commander. A lot is riding on the success of this mission."

"I understand, Admiral. I know my crew best and exactly what I need. We will be fine."

"Who will you send?"

"Kaidan Alenko, sir. His Spectre status may prove invaluable to get behind locked doors. Liara T'Soni is a powerful biotic and one of the best researchers and information brokers. Catch her up to speed, and she may find Leviathan faster than Dr. Bryson and his entire team. I will also be sending Tali'Zorah and James Vega. Tali is a tech specialist and James is a damn good soldier. Together, the four of them make a solid team."

Hackett crossed his arms and raised a hand to stroke his chin. Shepard clasped his hands behind his back and waited for the Admiral's decision. After a lengthy moment, Hackett lowered his hands down to his side.

"Very well, Commander. I'll send Dr. T'Soni all relevant data and information on Leviathan. In the meantime, head for the Horse Head Nebula. The fleet will wait for you there, as well as a ship that will be dedicated to finding Leviathan. Once Kaidan and his team transfer over, we will head for the Anadius system and wipe out Cerberus from the face of the galaxy. We will discuss strategy at a later time."

"Yes, sir." Shepard saluted.

"Hackett, out."

Hackett's holographic image fizzled out and the humming of the vid comm died down.

"EDI, how far out are we from the mass relay?" Shepard called.

"Two hours, Commander," came EDI's voice through Normandy's intercom.

"Have Joker set a course for the Horse Head Nebule and notify everyone to meet me in the War Room, including Miranda. Also, EDI, feel free to arrive slightly late."

"May I ask why?"

"A pleasant surprise for someone," Shepard said with a mischievous grin.

"Understood, Commander."

Shepard stepped out of the comm room and leaned forward against the war terminal. There was a small, nagging feeling that knew splitting up his squad was possibly a fatally dangerous idea. He had the option to ignore Leviathan completely, and focus solely on the Catalyst and the Crucible, thus keeping his entire squad together and ready to face any challenge. But if the Crucible failed, or Cerberus somehow prevented him from gaining the information he needed, the galaxy's hope would rest on Kaidan and his search for something potentially deadlier than a Reaper.

"We're facing extinction," Shepard said, trying to reaffirm himself. "If we don't take risks, we won't survive."

After five minutes, everyone was assembled around the war terminal. Miranda stood at Shepard's right, followed by James, Tali, Garrus, Kaidan, and Liara, who was standing at Shepard's left.

"Listen up, everyone," Shepard called, gaining their attention. "We have a situation. As you know, our top priority is to retrieve the Prothean VI from Cerberus. What you don't know, is that this assault will be the first stage of our attack on Earth. However, not all of you will be joining me for this mission."

It was not uncommon for Shepard to take a small strike force on various missions, while the rest stayed aboard the Normandy, but judging by the looks that they were exchanging with each other, they knew that this would be different; somehow a few of them were going to be taken off the mission entirely.

"It has been brought to my attention that there is something out there more powerful than a Reaper," he continued. "Something that's being called Leviathan. Recently, a research team on Mahavid found an artifact that is believed to be key in finding this thing. However, they were attacked by Reaper forces and presumed to be wiped out. A scouting team arrived on the scene and claims that the Reaper has been neutralized. We believe this was the work of Leviathan."

"Shepard," Tali interjected. "Do you know what this Leviathan is? Is it a machine or a highly advanced species?"

"I don't know," admitted Shepard. "Whatever it is, it seems to have the capabilities to destroy a Reaper and indoctrinate organics."

"Sounds like a Reaper to me. Maybe a rogue Reaper?" Garrus shrugged.

"Again, I don't know," said Shepard. "It seems to be on our side, or at least on the side against the Reapers. I'm bringing this to your attention because I'm sending some of you to aid in the investigation and search for Leviathan."

"And we're sure it's out there? That it actually exists?" Kaiden asked.

"Something destroyed that Reaper at Mahavid," Shepard said. "That's reasonable proof to believe it does."

"So, who do you intend to send on this ghost hunt?" Miranda inquired of him.

"Shepard," came EDI's voice over the intercom. "I should accompany you on the Cerberus mission. This is their central point of operations. They will have enhanced security measures. With my knowledge of Cerberus algorithms and this body's updated protocols, I offer the best chance to help you succeed."

"Wait." Miranda held up a hand and looked searchingly at Shepard. "What does EDI mean by 'this body's updated protocols?'"

The door leading to the conference room slid open and EDI walked in.

"I installed a percentage of myself into this mobile unit," explained EDI. "This body has allowed me to offer more assistance to the Commander and the mission than I was previously able to."

"She's a helluva shot," added James.

Miranda stood staring at EDI, though not demonstrating any outward signs of surprise. Shepard did notice that she took a deeper breath than normal as she straightened her posture. Standing next to her, he could also see that her shoulders and neck were tense; a sign that she wasn't too comfortable with an unshackled AI now having a mobile body.

"An impressive upgrade, EDI," Miranda said, slightly forced. "Now, back to the matter at hand. Who are you intending to send, Shepard?"

Shepard slowly looked around the room at every one of his squad members. This could be the last time that he would see them all together, or at all.

"I'm sending Kaidan, Liara, Tali, and James," he said, making eye contact with each one as he said their name. "The four of you make a very solid, well-rounded team."

"Wait," Kaidan said, lowering and shaking his head. "You're about to dive straight into the heart of Cerberus. _Cerberus._ You've seen the experiments they've conducted and what they do to their own soldiers. Think of the horrors you might face there! And you're wanting to go in with only half your team? Shepard, that's suicide!"

"I've gone through one suicide mission," Shepard responded. "This won't be nearly as bad."

"How can you be so sure?

"Not only will we have the element of surprise, but we will also have a fleet backing us up."

"If I may, Commander," Liara jumped in. He gestured for her to continue and she turned to address the group. "I know what Shepard is asking for is difficult. Believe me. I would give anything to be there and help stop to the Illusive Man and Cerberus, but we can't ignore these reports on Leviathan. As the Commander said, whatever it is, it isn't on the side of the Reapers. We need all the help we can get if we hope to survive this war. And, assuming worst case scenario, what if something happens that prevents the Crucible from working, or it's unable to destroy the Reapers? Our search for Leviathan may be the next best thing."

"That may be true," Kaiden said, "but how are we going to search for this thing? We don't even have a ship."

"Admiral Hackett will have a ship waiting for you once we enter the Horse Head Nebula," explained Shepard. "Once on board, your first step will be to investigate Mahavid. A researcher there named Garneau found another artifact relating to Leviathan. We believe he discovered something significant about these artifacts before the Reapers attacked. Find out what he learned and go from there. Liara will be able to brief you further."

Shepard turned and addressed Liara directly. "Admiral Hackett is sending you all relevant data and information on Leviathan, so you will be up to speed."

Liara nodded. "Thank you, Commander."

"The rest of you will be with me and the Cerberus mission. Is everything clear?"

There were some hesitant nods, but everyone understood. Shepard contemplated whether to address the reality that this may be the last time they would meet as a unit, but he decided against it. If he didn't mention anything, then it would be assumed that they would all meet again. An unrealistic and foolish assumption, but it was good for morale to have some hope in such dark, desperate times.

"Good. Those staying with me, we will reconvene later to be briefed on our assault. Dismissed."

The quiet rumble of conversation slowly emerged as everyone began to leave, discussing what just transpired or resuming earlier topics.

"Shepard," Miranda said, touching his arm. "I need to apologize about earlier, in the medical bay."

"It's okay, Miranda," Shepard replied, placing a hand on the side of her shoulder. "I understand why you wouldn't want to leave your sister."

"I know... Especially now that you're asking to part with four members of your team, whom I'm sure you're very close with."

"Yeah," he sighed. "Risks and sacrifices must be made if we hope to make it through this war. A war I don't intend to lose. So, I will do everything I can to ensure our victory."

They looked into each others eyes for a moment before Miranda turned her gaze toward the door. Shepard followed and noticed that the room was empty.

"Shepard, how are you doing?" she asked, looking back up at him. "I'm really not good at this type of conversation, but I'd like to know. I don't want to hear what you say to the crew to keep morale up, but how you're really feeling."

Shepard looked down at his feet for a moment. He, too, was not very good at expressing his feelings. It made him soft and he never had the need nor the desire to be so, but just this once, it felt right to say a little to Miranda.

"I'm exhausted," he confessed, looking back up at her. "And I'm sick and tired of Cerberus interfering with our plans. Their ambitions will be the downfall of the entire galaxy. How could they possibly ignore that? I also don't like the fact that we cannot win with conventional warfare - what I'm most comfortable with. Instead, we have to rely on some unknown device that we don't know anything about; we don't know what it does. No civilization before us has ever come close to completing the Crucible. How do we know if it even works?"

Shepard paused for a moment to run a hand down his face to simmer down his building frustration.

"I'm just... I'm afraid that, if I stop moving, I won't be able to get back up."

A soothing smile crossed Miranda's lips as she placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Then I'll just pick you right back up," she breathed.

Shepard wrapped his strong arms around her small frame and they kissed.

* * *

**Author Notes:**

**Well, about half a year later, here's another update! Hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave comments, feedback, and/or reviews. It will only help me improve this story.  
**


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